Table 1 Characteristics of D1, D2, D3 population (n = 567)

Age (years)

0.899

   Median

55

55

54

Sex(%)

0.758

   Men

136(73)

137(73)

133(70)

   Women

51(27)

52(27)

58(30)

Number of lymph nodes removed

0.189

   Mean

21

23

26

Number of involved lymph nodes

0.232

   Mean

3

4

6

Tumor size(%)

0.323

   ≤5 cm

125(67)

121(64)

113(59)

   5-7 cm

32(17)

40(21)

50(26)

   >7 cm

30(16)

28(15)

28(15)

Site of tumour(%)

0.984

   Upper stomach

44(24)

39(21)

42(22)

   Middle stomach

43(23)

50(27)

45(24)

   Lower stomach

88(47)

87(46)

90(47)

   Whole stomach

12(6)

13(6)

14(7)

Pathological tumour stage(%)

0.979

   T1

41(22)

40(21)

44(23)

   T2

44(24)

45(24)

42(22)

   T3

89(48)

87(46)

92(48)

   T4

13(6)

17(9)

13(7)

Clinical node status(%)

0.729

   Positive

182(97)

186(98)

186(97)

   Negative

5(3)

3(2)

5(3)

Pathological nodal stage(%)*

   N0

69(37)

60(32)

69(36)

0.500

   N1

75(40)

93(49)

81(42)

   N2

30(16)

26(14)

24(13)

   N3

13(7)

10(5)

17(9)

Gross type(%)

0.998

   Borrmann I

58(31)

56(30)

54(28)

   Borrmann II

41(22)

44(23)

43(23)

   Borrmann III

73(39)

74(39)

77(40)

   Borrmann IV

15(8)

15(8)

17(9)

Histological type(%)

0.867

   Differentiated

99(53)

88(47)

82(43)

   Undifferentiated

88(47)

101(53)

109(57)

Curative resection(%)

174(93)

181(96)

181(95)

0.503

Type of gastrectomy(%)

0.440

   Total

22(12)

21(11)

29(15)

   Subtotal

165(88)

168(89)

162(85)

Combined organ resection

0.283

   Pancreas or spleen

7(4)

16(9)

14(7)

   Liver or gall

11(6)

8(4)

9(5)

   Transverse colon

9(5)

17(9)

11(6)

Blood transfusion(%)

100(54)

104(55)

111(58)

0.652